So Alex Anthopoulos has found a manager in John Farrell.
Now he has to continue upgrading his team through trades and free agency.
The first thing to note is that it is highly unlikely Anthopoulos signs a Type A free agent. This is because his first-round pick is not protected, and that is what he would have to give up to sign them.
So Manny Ramirez is out of the question.
The second thing is that Anthopoulos has stated he is willing to go after Type A free agents if the price is right. I understand this, but it is highly unlikely that will happen.
Type A free agents almost always get big money. If they are not worth a lot of money, then teams would not want to give up the draft pick, either.
As a result, I see them targeting players that are not on the Type A free-agent list.
The needs of this team are not as great as some would perceive.
One upgrade needed would be catcher. This is because John Buck has already signed with the Florida Marlins (who snubbed Toronto in the Dan Uggla trade), and so we need a starting catcher.
We have a quality backup in Jose Molina, so some say we should just get JP Arencibia to start. But it is quite risky to throw a stud prospect into the fire immediately.
Also, Anthopoulos has stated that catcher and shortstop are the two most important positions. As a result, expect Anthopoulos to address the catcher position.
Another area he needs to address is the bullpen. This is the place the Blue Jays are losing the most players from.
Jason Frasor, Scott Downs and Kevin Gregg need to be replaced. That is going to cost a lot of money.
Then there is the infield. The Blue Jays need to address the first base position.
Lyle Overbay is most likely not coming back, so they need a starter there. Brett Wallace, who was supposed to be his heir, was dealt for Anthony Gose.
They also need a third baseman, as they released last year’s starter in Edwin Encarnacion.
Another option to fill third base is to get a second baseman and move Aaron Hill to the hot corner. I would not recommend it, as Hill has been outstanding at second base.
He can also get an outfielder and put Bautista at third base, but that seems a bad idea as well because Bautista is excellent in right field.
Also Anthopoulos loves to stockpile starting pitchers. We saw this in the draft, as he kept picking pitcher after pitcher in the first two rounds, picking five in all.
So these are the needs. Now let’s get to the players he should target.